Dear Friends and Family,
Greetings from Costa Rica, the 6th rainiest country in the world! The rainy season is now here in full swing! We’ve had a few leaky roof issues, but that is part of life here. Last month was a pretty good month. Jeremy is now preaching through 1 Corinthians on Sundays and on Tuesdays is doing a series on “Biblical Principles for Spiritual Growth.” We’ve continued our weekly evangelism efforts and have continued to see new visitors. One Sunday after church, we were able to lead a lady to the Lord. We’ve also been doing some counseling here and there. We are now preparing for a special Father’s Day service and will have a meal together with the church family afterward. We are also preparing for a short trip to the US to be able to attend Michelle’s grandparents’ burial. They were always a blessing and encouragement to us, and we spent a lot of time with them during deputation and our furlough in 2018. The trip will be about two and a half weeks and I believe it will be the first time that we have been away from the church for that long. We also now have a couple of men who are sound in doctrine who will be able to preach and teach in my absence. Michelle also has a rotation of Sunday school teachers who will be able teach in our absence. We are encouraged to see how the church has grown and matured over the years. We will also have a group from the BIMI Connect Trip come to visit us, so we are looking forward to that!
As of June 7th, the kids have now finished the school year. Lila has a 6th grade graduation and has finished with the highest cumulative grade average from 4th-6th grade and was invited to speak at her graduation. Ellowyn and Elijah have also done very well. For the next school year, Lila will be transitioning to home school and also studying her Spanish subjects in class one day a week. Ellowyn and Elijah will be transitioning to a local school that is within walking distance from our house. This will make things a lot easier as we will not have to drive across San José and back five times a week. Because we have now had temporary residency in Costa Rica for three years, we now qualify to apply for permanent residency without restriction. That means that we will no longer need to be sponsored by another established organization.
Before sharing our prayer requests, here is an update on Jeremy. After choosing the private hospital, the surgeon there advised Jeremy to wait 6 months and see how he progresses. So, we will take it one step at a time. This month, please pray:
1. That God will strengthen the church and care for it during our trip to the US.
2. That God will keep us safe through travels in Costa Rica and to the US.
3. That the Lord will continue to save souls and add them to the church.
In Christ,
Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz
